Sellers advised to do everything to get their home noticed

With so few buyers around, serious sellers should list their property with both estate agents and private sale sites, according to UKHousing.com.

Shaun Duncan, founder of UKHousing.com, said that to sell a house immediately, homeowners should list it privately but also use an estate agent to get it "in front of as many potential buyers as possible".

"If all estate agents are doing essentially is marketing houses on websites there is not much value there," he advised.

However, Mr Duncan suggested that in the current climate people should still use both.

Earlier this month, the BBC published a list of innovative ways to sell a home, including try-before-you-buy schemes and house swaps.

One increasingly popular way to advertise a home is through a raffle and this has frequently been used by those that have developed a niche, high-end self buildproperty.

In September, it was reported that a partially underground, £845,000 ecohome was to be raffled off as part of a prize draw with tickets costing as little as £25.